Deputies released vehicle to driver hours before crash

The sheriff of St. John the Baptist Parish said he is conducting his own internal investigation after the WDSU I-Team learned a car involved in a deadly head-on collision was stopped by deputies just hours before a crash in St. Charles Parish.

Louisiana State Police have confirmed to WDSU that Jennifer Englade, the woman involved in Sunday’s accident in Norco that killed three, including a pregnant woman, was over the legal limit for alcohol.

A chain of events put a woman with a history of drunk driving behind the wheel on the night of Saturday, May 25. Earlier in the same evening, Rechelle Hotard was the driver of the Pontiac G6 involved in that crash.

She was arrested after the initial stop by deputies, but instead of towing the vehicle, those deputies gave the keys to the passengers in the car. Four hours later three people were dead.

St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre said he's certain if his deputies could have done anything to prevent the fatal crash, they would have.

St. John deputies say Rechelle Hotard and Jennifer Englade were leaving a LaPlace daiquiri shop around 10:40 on the night of Saturday, May 25.

"We received a call that the vehicle was leaving a bar," Trege said. His officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a car in the parking lot. They arrested the driver, Hotard, after discovering outstanding warrants.

"Englade was the front seat passenger. Five officers were there. They interviewed her and she had not violated any laws at that time. The vehicle was allowed to remain with her."

Tregre said Englade is the registered owner of the car.

Four hours after the initial encounter with St. John deputies, Englade was at the wheel when investigators say that same car crossed a median and plowed head-on into a 2001 Honda headed in the opposite direction. Three people -- one of them pregnant -- died. State Police believe Englade was legally drunk at the time.

"As soon as I found out this information, I began an internal investigation to make sure that my officers did everything they could possibly do or should have done that night," Tregre said.

Tregre said his office is not sure what Englade did in the hours between the encounter with deputies at the daiquiri shop and the crash in neighboring St. Charles Parish.

Right now, he stands by his deputies' actions.

"Knowing that dealing with this individual who was later involved in this horrific crash where lives were taken, I'm sure if there was anything they could have done to prevent that, they would have," he said. "But she hadn't violated any laws at that time, she was the front seat passenger and they turned the vehicle over to her."

Englade remains at University Hospital. When she's released, she will go to the St. Charles Parish jail. State Police officials said she's in stable condition.

St. Charles Parish District Attorney Joel Chaisson is overseeing the case against Englade and said he intends to pursue the death penalty.

INVESTIGATION.... AFTER THE I-TEAM LEARNED THE CAR INVOLVED IN A DEADLY HEAD-ON COLLISION... WAS STOPPED BY DEPUTIES JUST HOURS BEFORE THAT CRASH. A CHAIN OF EVENTS PUT A WOMAN WITH A HISTORY OF DRUNK DRIVING BEHIND THE WHEEL THAT NIGHT. BUT EARLIER IN THE SAME EVENING: "THIS" WAS THE DRIVER OF THE PONTIAC G6 -- RECHELLE HOTARD. SHE WAS ARRESTED AFTER THE INITIAL STOP BY DEPUTIES. BUT INSTEAD OF TOWING THE VEHICLE, THOSE DEPUTIES GAVE THE KEYS ... TO THE PASSENGERS IN THE CAR. AND 4 HOURS LATER... 3 PEOPLE WERE DEAD. WDSU NEWS REPORTER CASEY FERRAND SPOKE WITH THE SHERIFF TODAY ... ABOUT THE CASE. SHERIFF MIKE TREGRE SAYS HE'S CERTAIN IF HIS DEPUTIES COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO PREVENT THE FATAL CRASH... THEY WOULD HAVE. ST. JOHN PARISH DEPUTIES SAY RECHELLE HOTARD AND JENIFFER ENGLADE WERE LEAVING THIS LAPLACE DAQUIRI SHOP AROUND 10:40 ON THE NIGHT OF SATURDAY MAY 25. 17:34 We received a call that the vehicle was leaving a bar. 05 OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF A DISTURBANCE AT A CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. THEY ARRESTED THE DRIVER... RECHELLE HOTARD... AFTER DISCOVERING OUTSTANDING WARRANTS. 44:26 englade was the front seat passenger. Five officers there. They interviewed her. She had not violated any laws at that time. The vehicle was allowed to remain with her. 15 04:11 they were at the daquiri shop. Is it safe to safe to say they were probably drinking? Yes, I understand they were drinking at some point I couldn't tell you how much. 09 FOUR HOURS LATER -- JENIFFER ENGLADE WAS AT THE WHEEL WHEN INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT SAME CAR CROSSED A MEDIAN AND PLOWED HEAD-ON INTO A 2001 HONDA HEADED THE OTHER WAY. THREE PEOPLE -- ONE OF THEM PREGNANT -- DIED. STATE POLICE BELIEVE ENGLADE WAS LEGALLY DRUNK AT THE TIME. 01:33 as soon as I found out this information. I began an internal investigation to make sure that my officers did everything they could possibly do or should have done that night. 07 SHERIFF MIKE TREGRE SAYS HIS OFFICE IS NOT SURE WHAT ENGLADE DID IN THE HOURS BETWEEN THE ENCOUNTER WITH DEPUTIES AT THE DAQUIRI SHOP AND THE CRASH IN NEIGHBORING ST. CHARLES PARISH. RIGHT NOW HE STANDS BY HIS DEPUTIES ACTIONS. 03:51 knowing that dealing with this individual who was later involved in this horrific crash where lives were taken. 03:57 I'm sure if there was anything they could have done to prevent that they would have 19 but she hadn't violated any laws at that time, she was the front seat passenger, she hadn't violated any laws at that time. They turned the vehicle over to here. ENGLADE REMAINS AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. WHEN SHE'S RELEASED SHE WILL GO TO THE ST. CHARLES PARISH JAIL. POLICE SAYS SHE'S IN STABLE CONDITION. ST. CHARLES PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOEL CHAISSON IS OVERSEEING THE CASE AGAINST ENGLADE AND SAYS HE INTENDS TO PURSUE THE DEATH PENALTY.